Grave-vault.



P. S. WISTERMAN. GRAVE VAULT. APPLIcATIoN FILED 14113.12, 1913.

1,131,886-, Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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Specification of Letters liatcnt.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915..

Application led March 12, 1913. Serial No. 753,863.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, FRANK S. WISTERMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Uhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grave- Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in grave vaults and relates particularly to metal vaults of the open end type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a vault of this character with an improved end closure which will embody an improved construction and arrangement of fastening devices that will make the vault absolutely air and water-tight when closed.

rEhe invention has for a further object an improved grave vault, the end closure or door of which is provided with fastening devices preferably permanently connected thereto, whereby they cannot become lost, said fastening devices being threaded and designed to engage with the walls of threaded openings in an angular flange secured within the open end of the vault, the parts being so constructed and arranged that all liability of stripping the threads will be precluded and the fastening or locking operation being greatly facilitated. And the invention also aims to generally improve de vices of this character so as to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

F or a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an end view of a vault embodying the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the end of the vault with the end closure or door in closed position and with one of the fastening devices shown at the outer limit of its movement ready to be screwed into its opening, and, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the door or closure partly open.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of an open end metal grave vault and 2 the door or closure thereof.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, a frame 3 is set into the open end of the body portion 1, being secured in any desired way as by rivets 4, said frame being formed with an inwardly projecting ange 5 which eX- tends around or denes the entire opening for the reception of the casket, said flange being formed with any desired number of threaded openings 6 on its upper, lower and side portions.

The door or closure 2 may be either hinged at any desired point to the open end of the body portion 1, or entirely separable therefrom, as desired. In the present instance, it is shown as hinged to one side, as indicated at 7, so as to swing outwardly and is provided with a handle 8 of any desired formation. The door 2 is formed with apertures 9 extending therethrough in substantial registry or alinement with the opening 6 in the iiange 5 of the frame 3, and in these openings or apertures 9, thimbles 10 are received. These thimbles are formed with neck portions 11 which extend into the apertures 9, the thimbles being secured in saidV apertures in any preferred manner. The thimbles are formed with openings 12 which terminate at their inner ends in sockets 13, the openings 12 being designed to receive the Shanks or stems 14C of fastening devices 15, and the sockets 13 being adapted to accommodate the enlarged screw threaded inner ends 16 of said fastening devices, whereby said fastening devices may have a longitudinal and rotary movement in the openings 12. It is to be particularly observed that the socket 13 is of a depth greater than the longitudinal diameter of the enlargement 16 whereby the same will be entirely housed within the socket 13 when the shank or stem 14 is adjusted to its limit of outward movement, wherebyit will be apparent that the door 2 may be brought into proper engagement with the iiange 5 without any obstruction being offered thereto by the enlargement 16. |The longitudinal movement is limited in one direction by the shoulder which is formed by the enlarged threaded inner end of the fastening device and the inwardmovement is limited by the shoulder which is formed by the handle or finger gripping portion of the fastening device at the outer end of the stem-14. i Itis-to be understood that the outer ends of the fastening devices may be of any desired formation, whereby they may be turned by hand or by the application of a wrench or other tool, if desired but provided in any case with the annular shoulder 15', for the purpose to be hereinafter' referred to. Preferably, the inner extremities of the fastening devices are provided with the pointed or cone-shaped projections 17, such cone-shaped extremities tending to serve as a guiding means for properly positioning the cover 2 relatively to the. flange 5 especially in such cases wherein theuse of thehinge 7 is eliminated or should there be a certain degree of looseness betweenfthe parts comprising the hinge. It isalso to be observed that the distance between the adjacent faces of the enlargement 16 and 'the shoulder 15` afforded by the fastening means 15 is such as to prevent the enlargement 16 from being passedV entirely through the opening 6 such movement being limited by contact of the shoulder 15" with the adjacent face of the thimble 10. The threaded inner ends 16 of the fastening devices 15 are, as is manifest, intended-to screw into ythe openingsf. Preferably, a gasket 18 of any desired substance or material is interposed between the outer face of the 'Harige 5 and the inner face of the door or closure 2, and, if desired, gaskets 19 may surround the stems 14 of the fastening devices on the outer faces of the thimbles 10.

From the foregoing description in-connection with the accompanying drawing, the operation of my improved fastening devices will be apparent. In the practical use of a vault constructed in accordance with my invention, after the door has been closed, the fastening devices 15 are moved inwardly by hand and turned so that their threaded inner ends 16 will screw into the threaded opening 6 of the flange 5, whereby the udoor will be securely held in closed position vand the end of the vault will be sealed, both air and water-tight, which is an essential or advantage in a device of this character. It will thus be seen that l have provided a very practical, durable, strong and eflicient conof the parts without departing from thev Scope of the invention, as defined inthe appended claim.

W'hat l claim is rllhe combination with anopen end grave vault provided in its open end with a marginal flange, said flange being formed with a plurality of screw-threaded openings, of a closure adapted to Vlit within the end of the vault against said flange and formed with openings registering with the openings in the flange, thimbles rigidly secured in the openings of the closure and each formed `with a socket and with an opening extending therethrough concentrically of the socket and of smaller diameter than the same, and bolts mounted in said thimbles, each of said bolts being vprovided with a smooth shank movable longitudinally and rotatably in the opening in the thimble'with a grip portion at one end ofsaidshank and at the other end of the shank with la threaded head adapted to fit in said socket and engageable in one of the screw-threaded openings of the flange upon the -bodi-ly movement of the bolt forwardly anda subsequent rota- Y tion thereof, the extremity of the headbeing conica-l and protruding from the linner face of the closure in the retracted position of the head' in the socket, whereby when the closure is applied to the end of the vault, said extremities will assist in properly guiding the bolts initially to place.

ln ltestimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses. FRANK VVSTEBM'AN.

l/Vitnesses:

' DEAN C'. TALBOTT,

JOHN G. WISTERMAN.

Copies of this'wpatent may be obtained for five cents each, by. addressing the. Gommissoner o! Patents,

Washington, D. 6.15 

